Your Own Personal Savior
by Yondaime Namikaze
Summary: Hoping to forget her depression, Astrid Hofferson decides to call a hotline number she finds on a flyer posted on her university campus. Astrid talks with one of their angels, a young man known simply as "Hiccup" which greatly helps. If only she could find this "Hiccup" and talk with him face-to-face. Can't be that hard, right? Not with a voice as unique as his...or so she thinks.
1. Heavenly Hopes Hotline

**I promise that this is the last new HTTYD story I will post for awhile. For this story, I, again, have a basic outline of how I envision the story going, but it's pretty open at this point. The storyline's already been altered a bit since I started planning it. Hope you all enjoy anyway.**

**P.S. Title options? I originally was going to call this story Personal Jesus because that's the title of the song I'm using as my inspiration for the story, but I didn't want to offend anyone, so I went with "Your Own Personal Savior". Which is better for the story: "Personal Jesus" or "Your Own Personal Savior"?**

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><p><span>Chapter 1:Heavenly Hopes Hotline<span>

Astrid Hofferson was depressed…and she did not even know why. She had been depressed for as long as she could remember. It came and went. For days she would be fine, able to suppress it and hide it with a practiced mask. Then, it would return; it always came back.

She had tried many methods to make herself feel better. Everything from prescription anti-depressants to more physical temporary solutions, but nothing helped. They were all just that. Temporary.

What had brought the depression on for the first time, Astrid did not know? All she remembered was a crushing feeling in her chest, as if her very body was crumbling in upon itself. She had read up on depression and learned that many in the world lived with depression, but were able to successfully hide it. Often it came without warning or reason.

As a 20-year old college student, Astrid knew that she should be living it up and enjoying these years of her life, but it was just too hard. She wasn't very good at making friends…or keeping friends that she made. Everyone she knew was intimidated by her. How she managed to keep a tough front day in and day out while the depression tore her apart from the inside out, Astrid would never know.

888

Astrid was walking back to her dormitory room after class when she noticed the flyer. She did not make it a habit to look at the posters on the bulletin boards in the buildings where her classes were held. Most often, Astrid did not care what was posted as they were usually for clubs that she had no interest in or people looking for roommates for the upcoming semester or schoolyear. Again, she didn't care; she tried to avoid living with others. Her roommate, Heather, was bad enough. That girl's bubbly personality was enough to send her spiraling back down into the depths of the depression.

The flyer had caught its attention because it had been so plain. Its background showed a painted representation of a blue sky with fluffy white clothes. Letters on the flyer spelled out "Heavenly Hopes Hotline". Astrid scoffed and was about to walk away, but she kept reading. "Having struggles in your life? Depression bringing you down? Our angels are standing by to talk with you. Call today to speak with your own personal savior." Below the words was the number that would connect callers to this hotline.

Despite her best attempts to keep walking and forget about the flyer, Astrid pulled out her phone and typed the number into her phone's notes application. So she wouldn't forget, Astrid, also typed down the name of the hotline.

The flyer did not say how much it cost to dial the hotline and talk with these so-called angels and Astrid doubted she would ever call this number, but she just had to copy it down. Just in case.

Lately, the depression had subsided and Astrid found that avoiding her roommate helped with that. Staying on top of deadlines for her class assignments also helped. Stress tended to bring on her depression.

Unfortunately, Astrid was unable to avoid her roommate this time. As Astrid entered her dormitory suite, Heather was preparing to leave, claiming that she was going to her job. Astrid had always suspected that this "job" of hers was a lie. Heather would leave wearing the same designer (but casual) clothing she wore to her classes. What kind of job would allow their workers to dress that way?

"Oh, Astrid, I feel like I never see you anymore. Are you free sometime soon? We should get dinner together."

Heather's bubbly voice, like always, churned Astrid's stomach and she could feel the tightening in her chest. "Not hungry. I have work to do." Astrid brushed past the other girl. Before she could make it to her private bedroom and shut the door, she heard Heather tell her to "get back to her" about making dinner plans. Like that would ever happen!

Placing her phone on her nightstand, Astrid plopped down on her bed and stared up at the plaster ceiling above her. From outside, she could hear the familiar sounds of campus: students conversing, students skateboarding on their way to class, just students in general—they could be pretty loud sometimes.

The crushing feeling in her chest intensified. She had not anti-depressant pills to take; she had not yet refilled that prescription. Glancing over to her nightstand, Astrid saw the sunlight glint off the blade of her razor. Reaching for it, Astrid stopped as her fingertips slid over the smooth screen of her iPhone. Rolling onto her side, Astrid looked between the two, attempting to make a decision.

The pain she could cause with the razor and the blood she could draw from those wounds was sounding like a good option right now, but it would still only be temporary. Still, she knew so little about this hotline. That might only be a temporary solution too. Her hand hovered over the razor, ready to grab for it and drag the blade over her skin. Yet, she couldn't; the phone number for the hotline was calling to her, telling her that talking with the angels would be a much better solution. _**But what if it isn't?**_

Astrid's hand hovered between the two options for another minute. Before she could change her mind, Astrid quickly grabbed her iPhone and typed the hotline number onto the keypad. She did not immediately press the call button, but, instead, stared down at the waiting number._** I only have to try this once. Then I can trash the number and never think of it again.**_

Pressing the green call button, Astrid waited as the number dialed and connected her with the hotline. On the second ring, an automated answering system picked up, thanking her for calling Heavenly Hopes Hotline and stating again that "their angels are standing by and waiting to talk to you". The recording asked if there was a specific angel she wanted to talk with and that, if there was, to press 1. Astrid waited to hear the other options. The next option was for those who wanted to be randomly paired with an available angel to press 2 or stay on the line.

That's the option I need. Astrid pressed 2 and waited as the hotline connected her with an available angel. It did not take long before a young man's voice came onto the line. "Thank you for calling the Heavenly Hopes Hotline. My name is Hiccup and I will be your personal angel tonight. What can I help you with tonight?"

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><p><strong>Wow…I can tell that I haven't written in a while. This isn't my best work…well, in my opinion at least. Still, I'm really excited to write this story for you all, because I…well, I guess I have a lot planned for it and it's one of those ideas that wouldn't leave me alone until it got written.<strong>

**There might be a touch of dual perspectives in this story because I have some great backstory ideas for our "Hiccup" character. Still debating that.**

**P.S. Yes, I have a type of depression similar to the one Astrid mentions in this story. I'm writing that from personal experience, so some things mentioned in this story might not apply to all types of depression. Just wanted to throw that out there. I tend to like to write about things I know and can relate to. That is all.**

**Anyway, I hope that everyone enjoyed. Thank you all for reading and supporting Your Own Personal Savior!**

**Posted: October 12, 2014**


	2. Hiccup

**Thank you everyone for the support on the first chapter. Over 400 views just on this first chapter! Yay! Because it was so well-received, I decided to specially write up chapter 2 and get it posted pretty early (considering my busy schedule). **

**A few things from last time…I have decided to intermix Hiccup POV chapters into the story. Unlike my story "Wheel", it won't happen every other chapter, but they will happen every so often. Lastly, I'm gonna keep the title as I have it. I kinda like it.**

**Review Replies:**

_**Guest (anonymous)**_**: Thanks.**

_**hpnarutardsjedipirate1234**_**: I don't anymore…well, not like…um…this isn't working. Let's just say I use less "Band-Aids" now than I did in high school.**

_**TheChickWithTheAwesomeUsername**_**: Yeah, but it's hard to write a depression story that isn't at least a little dark. My depression comes in spurts, but usually I can suppress it.**

_**Guest (anonymous)**_**: Thanks. Yeah, Hiccup would be quite interesting on a hotline.**

_**Guest27 (anonymous)**_**: It's not as much of a problem anymore. Also, not as much…and by that I mean rarely. Which is like…never, yeah.**

_**MrHoneyXBadger**_**: I'm thinking it'll be fairly long. Unlike some of my stories, I have a pretty loose plan for this one at the moment (meaning—I have ideas, but might add more).**

_**tsk91**_**: Yes, Hiccup can't save Astrid. She'll have to do that herself, but Hiccup can help.**

_**Angryhenry**_**: Thanks!**

_**Andy493**_**: You got it!**

_**warorpeace**_**: I'm really glad you gave this story a chance and that you'll continue to read. I hope that this story can live up to expectations.**

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><p><span>Chapter 2: Hiccup<span>

It did not take long before a young man's voice came onto the line. "Thank you for calling the Heavenly Hopes Hotline. My name is Hiccup and I will be your personal angel tonight. What can I help you with tonight?"

When Astrid had called this hotline, she didn't know who she had expected to talk to, but she had never expected for a boy—young man—to pick up her call. Thinking on it now, Astrid had probably expected her "angel" to be some woman with an overly cheerful voice. This boy, though, (for she was convinced, from the sound of his voice, that he couldn't possibly be much older than her) was down-to-earth, not overly cheery, just…normal. Realizing that she had left the line hang dead between them, Astrid scrambled for a reply to Hiccup's initial question. "What kind of name is 'Hiccup' anyway?" Not the reply Astrid was going for, but it'll have to do; she'd already said it.

"Well, Milady, it is a nickname. You actually think that "angels" have "real" names?"

Astrid didn't know what she thought. Her former perceptions and thoughts about this hotline had already changed and she'd only been on the line for, maybe, two minutes, if that. "I don't know. I guess."

"Well, enough about me. I would like to know about you. What can I help you with tonight?"

Astrid sighed. "I…I don't know, actually." The problem, she did know, was that it was hard to explain. This "Hiccup" person probably didn't even care anyway.

"I know that's not true," he replied, his voice soft and welcoming.

"How do you know?" Astrid retorted immediately. "You don't know me."

"That is true," he remarked, "but I do know that you called this hotline. If you didn't need someone to talk with, you would not have called this hotline."

"Don't be so sure."

"Well, then it seems you don't need my help after all," Hiccup answered. "It has been my pleasure to…uh…talk with you this evening."

Astrid could sense that Hiccup was preparing to disconnect the call. Making a split second decision, she spoke up, "Wait! Maybe you can help me after all, Hiccup." As much as she hated to admit defeat and show weakness, Astrid did not want to end her call with Hiccup. She didn't know what it was about him, but hearing his voice made her want to open up and tell her darkest secrets.

"Well, in that case, what can I help you with tonight?" Hiccup asked again for the third time, his voice cheerful as if he knew that Astrid would stop him from ending the call.

"Okay, before I start, I want you to know, "angel", that I am not the best with words, so don't laugh at me or anything."

Astrid could hear the smile in Hiccup's serious voice. "You have my word."

"Okay, well…so…" Astrid stumbled over her words, unsure exactly how much of her messed-up life she wanted to reveal to this stranger. Taking a deep breath, Astrid continued, "For as long as I can remember, I've had depression. I just…don't know how to control it. I don't know how to make it go away. Everything I've ever tried has just been temporary. It always comes back. And today I saw this poster here at my university for this hotline and I was depressed and…" Astrid trailed off, not realizing that her words had quickened as she'd spoken to Hiccup. She could not believe that she had just revealed all this to someone she didn't even know. That was so unlike her.

"Depression, huh? Not the first time I've heard that one. It's actually quite common, you know? One out of every—"

"I don't care about everyone else, Hiccup!" Astrid cut him off before he could launch into some nerdy statistic…because she was certain that was where his conversation had been heading. "I'm not everyone else." For some strange reason, Astrid did not want to hear Hiccup talk about the others he had talked with on the hotline.

"Yes, of course not. I'm sorry," he replied, sounding genuinely apologetic for not focusing on the girl he was talking with currently. "Anyway, what I meant is that depression is a common problem today with the high demands placed upon young adults such as yourself."

_**How does he know how old I am?**_ Astrid briefly wondered before she remembered that, in her rush of words, she had mentioned her university.

"I once heard about a calming technique to use when you start to feel depressed. It's pretty easy, really. All you have to do is take a few deep breaths," Hiccup advised.

Astrid scoffed silently. Why was she wasting her time talking to this "Hiccup" if all he was going to say was that she needed to just breathe? "How is that going to help? I breathe already. All day, every day. It's never helped before."

"Just try it. If it doesn't work, you don't have to take my advice again. Ever," Hiccup answered.

Astrid rolled her eyes. It wasn't like she was ever going to talk to him again anyway. _**This is a win-win situation for him**_, she realized. _**He's going to make me try his silly idea and I'll never have to take his advice again regardless if this breathing thing works or not.**_

Hiccup didn't wait for her reply. "Okay, try it with me. Ready?"

"Fine…"

"Alright. Breathe in," Hiccup instructed. When he heard Astrid do as he had asked, Hiccup continued, "Now, breathe out." He waited a moment and then told Astrid, "Now, again. Breathe in." Another pause. "And breathe out."

As much as Astrid didn't want to admit it, this breathing technique did help to calm her stress. Perhaps she would have to try it next time she started to feel that familiar clenching in her chest.

"Did that help?" Hiccup asked and Astrid could hear genuine concern in his voice; this "angel" actually did care about the person he was talking to and he would try his best to help them, Astrid realized.

"No," she lied. There was no way that she would give him an easy victory. Even though it did help (for the most part) Astrid wasn't about to tell him that.

"Well, that's probably because you aren't depressed," Hiccup replied, never missing a beat. "You haven't been depressed since this call began," he finished, speaking with absolute confidence.

"How can you even say that? If I wasn't depressed, would I have called this hotline?" Astrid did not like the way Hiccup spoke so confidently, as if he knew her. He most definitely did not know her...even though he clearly thought that he did.

"Maybe you were depressed when you first called the hotline, but I can guarantee you weren't depressed when I picked up on this call. I know what you're probably going to say. 'Hiccup, how do you know this?' The answer is simple, really. I've often heard depressed people speak. I know what a depressed person sounds like on the phone and you sound nothing like a depressed person. You aren't depressed. Not anymore."

"Whatever. Then I guess we're done here," Astrid scoffed, giving up…but only because she could just tell that Hiccup would press on if she resisted.

"I guess so. Well, it was my pleasure to help you this evening. Remember that this hotline is always available whenever you need some Heavenly Hopes," Hiccup finished, sounding very rehearsed, as if he had repeated that very line many, many times.

Astrid disconnected the call. _**If I ever talk with that "Hiccup" again, I'm going to have to let him know how lame that closing statement sounds.**_

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><p><strong>Ah…that failed. The chapter built up so much in the conversation…all just to come to that ending. I'm sorry. It sounded good in my head and then I wrote it out on paper.<strong>

**Anyway, thanks again for all the kind words and support for this new story. Hopefully it continues to entertain, amuse, and….well, just be worth the read for you all!**

**Thank you all for reading and supporting Your Own Personal Savior!**

**Posted: October 16, 2014**


	3. Hiccup's Thoughts

**Well…long time no YOPS. Fear not, though for I have brought you another chapter! I think it's time for a little venture into Hiccup's life. Just to see what kind of character and where he's coming from. What do you all think?**

**Review Replies:**

_**century99**_**: Thanks. Half the reason for such an ending is because I only have a vague idea of what will happen in this story. Most of it is just being written as I go along, really.**

_**Midnight' Dragon Conqueror**_**: That would be because Heather plays a larger than usual role in this story. You'll soon see what I mean (maybe even in this chapter, perhaps). As for relationships, most will be largely one-sided. Of course, I did say "most" and not "all". **

_**bedheadforeva**_**: There'll be an explanation (though probably quite simple) about Hiccup's closing statement sometime in the near future.**

_**Angryhenry**_**: Yep. More explanation about that will come up eventually.**

_**Hoytti**_**: Thanks! Sorry to keep you waiting.**

_**Dragonbow117**_**: Thanks. I don't know why it felt lame to me. Glad to hear that it wasn't, though.**

_**Guest (anonymous)**_**: That's good, but I decided against changing the title. Yes, it is serious. That is why I hope to include light-hearted moments (such as that first phone call) to take some of the weight off the topic. **

**_Sullyranger_: Here's the next chapter. Sorry for making you wait so long for it.**

**Now…on to the chapter with the title that is not creative!**

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><p><span>Chapter 3: Hiccup's Thoughts<span>

Hanson Harrison Haddock III disconnected his most recent call. That woman…girl…had been something else. Having worked as a personal angel for Heavenly Hopes Hotline for almost three years, Hanson had talked on the line with many people, young and old, male and female, but that girl was unlike any others. She claimed to have depression (and Hanson most definitely was not disagreeing), but her voice had sounded so confident.

_**Why am I overthinking this anyway? I'm never going to hear from her again. That's how it works here. I, of all people, should know that well enough.**_ Surprisingly, many angels do not stick around very long. In fact, most do it simply for some type of community service and then leave without looking back when they've met their requirement. Hanson was one of the "angels" who had been there longest.

He liked the work. It was not usually hard to talk with the callers and they never had to see him. Not that Hanson was unattractive. He had been pretty geeky back in high school, but once he'd entered college, Hanson had grown out of the nerdy stage in his life. The only thing that Hanson felt self-conscious about was his prosthetic foot and lower leg. When Hanson was 15, he had a major accident involving his Black Labrador, Toothless, and an oncoming car. Long story short, his left foot was crushed beyond repair by the front tire of the car and the doctors in the emergency room of Berk General Hospital were forced to amputate it. Toothless had also lost his back left leg that day. Hanson knew that he should not feel self-conscious about this, but he still did and that's why he enjoyed coming in to work for the Hotline. No one at the call center and none of the callers knew there was anything different or strange about him.

On the walls of the plain call center, were posted "rules" for which the "angels" were to abide. Hanson had read the various posters many times; he practically had the words memorized now. He knew them well enough to know that they weren't actually rules. Instead, they were suggestions made by the Company to "prevent unnecessary hardships". Reading the posters, Hanson could just imagine what was going through the minds of those who came up with the posters. "The callers…you wouldn't want to personally get to know most of them. They're…different…strange. So follow these absurd rules." Hanson could just imagine some higher-up, perhaps even the developer of the Hotline, saying those words (or similar ones) to some committee who would just merely nod their heads and agree.

Hanson had a wild imagination which would run even more while in the plain call center. Perhaps that was just another reason why he was such a great "angel" for the Hotline. He did not have to see the callers with whom he spoke; he could help them feel better just by talking with them. Like tonight with that girl, for instance. He had just known that she would feel better if she would just take deep slow breaths and it had worked (even if she did not want to admit it).

Returning his attention from the sign on the wall that he had been absently staring at for several minutes, Hanson checked the computer screen in front of him. Phone numbers displayed upon the screen. They were the phone numbers that belonged to the callers, people waiting for "angels" like Hiccup to pick up their call and talk with them. The "angels" could choose any of the numbers; that was the most common way that calls were connected. When callers called the hotline, though, there was an option to connect to a specific "angel". If a caller selected this option, the phone that sat upon that "angel's" desk would ring. That was the only way those phones would ever ring. Personal calls were only to be taken on cell phones. Company phones were to be used strictly for business and nothing more.

The numbers displayed upon his screen did not look familiar. None were local and there were none that he had answered previously. Some callers were so regular that Hanson could hear the caller's voice when he saw certain numbers. He also knew which of those "regular calls" to avoid (although, he did not try to make a habit of this). Because he only had about ten minutes left in his night, Hanson closed out of the computer program and shut down his computer. That was another lesson he'd learned very early in his time with the Hotline: Don't start a call too close to your ending time because you might end up staying for at least an extra hour…and the Company hated that—they did not like to pay out at the overtime rate.

On his way out of the call center, Hanson's eye caught one of the other "regulations" posters. This one stated to never reveal personal information to your callers. Again, Hanson laughed to himself. _**Wouldn't want to get too friendly with depressed people, that must've been what the Company Heads had been thinking.**_ Because of this poster, Hanson had adopted the alias "Hiccup". The name had been a childhood nickname and most of his friends automatically called him Hiccup already anyway.

When Hiccup had told his name to that girl and she had questioned it, this poster was the one he had been thinking about as he calmly gave her his answer. Some "angels" still preferred to use their real names, but "Hiccup" was the name Hanson was more used to hearing, so he was quite okay using it here. In fact, the only people who called him by his birthname were his parents and his teachers. His parents did not see how their son could like such a strange nickname.

By this time of the night, there were very few "angels" left at the call center. This particular center, because it was located in the small town of Berk, was not staffed around the clock. There were some centers (mainly the ones in larger cities) that did keep "angels" in the center overnight, though. Hiccup would never want to work at such a center. He couldn't anyway—not with his college classes taking up his daytime hours; as much as he liked his job, he still needed sleep so he could do well in his classes.

Finally, Hiccup was ready to leave. As he left, he heard one of his fellow "angels" call out a "Bye, Hiccup" to him. She must not have been talking with a caller…or maybe she was. Hiccup knew her well. He was certain that she had a crush on him, but he could not say that he reciprocated the feelings. No, Hiccup was far too busy right now to worry about love and girlfriends. Succeeding in his studies at Berk University, his parents constantly reminded him, was top priority. Not that he understood why it should matter anyway; he was doomed to succeed his father as CEO of the biggest company in the area. What need would he have for the business degree that his father had all-but-forced him to pursue?

It would be a short drive home so Hiccup did not rush right out to his car. The nights were getting colder and in a few short weeks it would be near or below the freezing point after dark. This was the norm in Berk, Hiccup would know. He had lived in this town his entire life. Though Hiccup was used to the cold, he still walked quickly to his car once he had left the building.

The car would barely even be warm before Hiccup would arrive home, but the car seats and steering wheel did not bother Hiccup. In fact, he barely gave much thought to them. Instead, his thoughts were elsewhere. As he drove home, Hiccup's thoughts returned back to the girl he had talked with just before his night ended. He was still thinking about her as he pulled into his driveway five minutes later.

When Hiccup had chosen to pick up her call, he had decided on her number because it was the only local number on the list. It was only now as he was walking into his house that Hiccup finally pieced together everything he knew about the girl. _**She has a local number which means that she lives around here. She said that she attends a university so that must mean…that she attends Berk University! Just like me!**_

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><p><strong>Would've posted this sooner, but…well, personaloffline issues. Basically, my family (who I've told before many times that I have undiagnosed depression) decided to say and do some things to trigger that…purposefully. Like…again, they said that I was wasting my time by writing. How is that...nevermind. Then, I was kind of…stood up by friends…which was just fantastic…y'know seeing those same friends posting statuses and pictures and…uh…yeah…sorry for rambling. It's been a bad day and, no, I really don't feel like talking about it (even though I did just rant about it).**

**Long story short…I just didn't feel like writing the very last little bit. At least I did get it out though (cause my parents went to bed and I can just be alone now). Good thing is a longer chapter, yes?**

**P.S. I can't believe I haven't updated this story in over a month. Sorry, guys!**

**Thank you all for reading and supporting Your Own Personal Savior!**

**Posted: November 23, 2014**


	4. The Second Call

**Thank you all who showed concern for…what I mentioned in the last chapter. Things have improved. Now that I'm on break, my goal is to get as many of my stories updated as I can between now and December 2****nd****. We'll see how well that works out.**

**Review Replies:**

_**Sullyranger**_**: I'm glad the chapter was worth the wait. I hope that the gaps between updates will never be that long again. We'll see, though.**

_**Rumbling Night Cutter**_**: Thanks! I will do my best to keep updates more consistent and often.**

_**Bimori**_**: I'm glad. That might have something to do with the fact that I'm mainly making this up as I go along. I don't have a solid plan for the story yet. Not even a confirmed ending! This is different for me, but it's working out well so far.**

_**Whenwrongfeelsright**_**: Thank you!**

_**Foxmorgorth**_**: Well, I will say that both Hiccup and Astrid attending Berk University will mean something, yes. I won't say how because that'll keep you all reading. Haha.**

_**Noctus Fury (anonymous)**_**: I would say your guess is a pretty good one. Haha. Thank you! Here's the next chapter.**

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><p><span>Chapter 4: The Second Call<span>

Astrid could not stop thinking about the phone call she'd had with Hiccup. It had been almost two days now and the conversation was still fresh in her mind. _**Why?**_ she wondered. _**It was one conversation.**_ _**Why do I keep thinking about it?**_ Maybe it was the witty responses Hiccup had given; he was so unlike the "typical hotline speaker" that she had envisioned, so different from her expectation when she'd called the phone number for the Heavenly Hopes Hotline. Maybe it was his strange voice. He did not speak with the soft and slow tone that was meant to gently soothe a troubled mind. Hiccup's voice was a little raspy and rough, but, yet, so natural. What Astrid knew for certain was that it was not because she liked Hiccup as a friend or more. No, that must definitely was not it.

Okay…that was it. Even after just one conversation, Astrid knew that she was falling hard. She loved the witty approach Hiccup had taken to make her feel better. She loved his strange voice. She even loved the fact that she did not even know this boy's real name. How could she even let this happen? This was so unlike her. Somehow she would just have to forget about Hiccup and everything related to him and that stupid hotline. _**I should not feel this way. I don't even know what he looks like. He might be some creepy man trying to lure in younger girls with his wit…or maybe he's a genuinely nice guy who has a wonderful girlfriend…or fiancée…or wife**_. Astrid could not say with certainty which possibility sounded worse, actually.

_**I need to stop thinking about this. I need to stop. I am not obsessed with a person I don't even know. I'm not…Okay, I am, but I don't want to be.**_ Reaching for her iPhone, Astrid unlocked it and opened the Notes application. There was the hotline number she had typed directly from the flyer she had seen two days ago. Astrid's thumb hovered over the little trashcan icon at the bottom of the screen, ready to delete the number and never have to look at it again. Lowering her thumb, Astrid pressed the home button and locked the phone, tossing it aside. She couldn't delete the number. Calling it was still better than some of the other more…painful options. What would it matter? She'd probably never talk with Hiccup again anyway.

Right now, Astrid had more important things to worry about. Midterm exams. Astrid was a good student and so she was not too stressed about the test she would soon be taking. What did worry her, though, were the results. Astrid came from a broken family, but her parents still expected nothing but the best from their daughter. Failure was not an option.

The weather was turning cooler, so Astrid pulled on her favorite pair of boots. Why was it always so cold in Berk? Even Astrid's hometown of Raven Pointe (though not too far from Berk) was usually a few degrees warmer than Berk.

As Astrid walked out of her suite-style dormitory, she noticed that Heather was there. Knowing the other girl, she'd probably already finished her exams. She'd probably taken them early. Astrid hated her roommate…but that's already been stated.

Quickly, so as not to have to listen to Heather speak to her, Astrid left the dormitory and walked to the main entrance of the dormitory building. The evening air was brisk. _**Why did I ever think that scheduling an evening class was a great idea?**_ Astrid wondered as she approached the building where her class was located.

Arriving to class early, Astrid took her seat and pulled her notes from her backpack. She would use this extra time to study just a little more. There was no way that she would allow herself to fail this exam. While other students filtered in and spent their time on their cellphones, Astrid poured over her notes, absorbing as much information as she possibly could.

The professor arrived right on time. She wasted no time in getting started with the exam. "Okay, all notes and textbooks away!" she greeted the class the minute she walked in the door.

As she packed up her notes and transferred them to the floor, Astrid felt confident. She just knew that she would do well on this exam…and all her other ones.

888

_**I failed! How did I fail this exam? I studied extra hard for this one! **_

It had been a few days since Astrid had taken her midterm exams. Her professors had graded their exams quickly and were giving them back in class. So far, Astrid had done fairly well. Unfortunately, her grades on the tests she didn't fail (and that failure was only on the exam in her hardest class) were rather quite average. _**These grades will not be good enough for my parents**_, Astrid knew. She walked back to her dormitory with her head down.

_**Not good enough. Not good enough.**_ The chant rang through her head. She would never be good enough. These words still echoed through her head as she entered her dorm suite and retreated immediately to her private bedroom.

This was not the first time Astrid had felt this way. When you have parents who strive for you to aim for absolute perfection—parents who shun their child for achieving anything but absolute perfection—it was very simple to feel this way. Worthless. Never good enough. A loss of great potential.

Astrid could feel it. Her depression was returning again as these thoughts played through her head. It was like a gaping hole, digging its way through her chest and crushing all the happiness in her world. It hurt to breathe—the mental pain tearing into her heart.

On Astrid's nightstand, there sat her two options. The razor waited side-by-side with her iPhone. Which one should she choose? Pain was an immediate fix, but temporary. It would not last and then would she feel any better? However, if she called the hotline, the fix may not be immediately, but it would (hopefully) last longer than the pain of a deep razor cut. That is…if she talked with Hiccup again. What if she talked with some other "angel"? Would they be as helpful as Hiccup had been several nights ago?

She'd just have to take the chance. Reaching over her razor (which was luckily sitting blade-down), Astrid picked up her iPhone and unlocked the device, waking it from sleep mode. Tapping the phone icon, Astrid easily found the hotline number in her recent calls section of the application.

Her finger hovered over the number. One little tap on that number and it would call. Still, she hesitated. She did not know why. Why was it so hard to just admit to herself that she needed to call this hotline? Was it that she was self-conscious? Probably.

Still, she needed this. Whether it was Hiccup who picked up her call or not, Astrid needed some advice. Tapping the number, Astrid waited for it to dial. Two rings later, the automated answering system thanked her for calling the hotline. The recording, like before, cheerfully asked Astrid to press either 1 or 2. She could press one and try to talk to Hiccup, but that would just be too weird. He'd surely think that she was a stalker. Astrid pressed the number two on her iPhone screen and waited to be connected with one of the available "angels".

Like last time, it did not take long until her "angel" picked up the call. A familiar voice came across the line. "Thank you for calling the Heavenly Hopes Hotline. My name is Hiccup and I will be your personal angel tonight. What can I help you with tonight?"

_**Just the person I wanted to talk with tonight! What was the chance that he would be my "angel" again?**_

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><p><strong>I know…nothing happened in this chapter. Sorry. That tends to happen when I don't really fully plan out a story (which is why I don't do that very much). Well, the story will move forward soon, but this transition chapter was needed. Got to have Astrid make another call to Hiccup after all!<strong>

**Thank you all for reading and supporting Your Own Personal Savior!**

**Posted: November 27, 2014**

**Happy Thanksgiving!**


	5. Astrid

**It's been awhile and I apologize. Seems like I'm always doing that… Still, it's been busy with my two jobs so my free time to write has been nonexistent. Then, when I did get a day off, I went to see Big Hero 6. Such a great movie…I'm totally obsessed. Good news is that I have a pretty epic (well, I hope so…) HTTYD/BH6 crossover fanfiction in the works. It's gonna be…twisted…yeah, I guess. **

**Review Replies:**

_**Rumbling Night Cutter**_**: I know it was short. The later chapters should get a little longer, but I may also still keep them on the shorter side. Faster (yeah…) updates.**

_**Lily-D13**_**: Thank you! I'm glad that you like it! Here's the next chapter.**

_**Jesusfreak (anonymous)**_**: I'm glad that you like the story! Thanksgiving was very nice. The break went by too quickly, though.**

_**LeCheesecakes**_**: Well, I am aiming to take this idea and make it something new—something not seen often in the fandom. We'll see how well that turns out. I make no promises on updates (as always), but when my time opens up (which should hopefully be soon), the updates will come faster, I promise.**

_**Sullyranger**_**: This review gave me a sigh of relief. I've never had any call center experiences (in fact, I have telephobia) so I did not know if Astrid's instant crush was over the top or not. Thanks for the reassurance.**

_**blackhawk015**_**: I do not believe in "bad reviews". It was wonderful to hear feedback. I will continue for you.**

_**Angryhenry**_**: I am truly sorry that it took so long to get this posted.**

_**Foxmorgorth**_**: Interesting idea. I'm taking note of that. Never know. It might show up again when you least expect.**

_**Noctus Fury (anonymous)**_**: That she does! Oh yes, the love triangle shall emerge!**

_**Guest (anonymous)**_**: Well…I tried. Didn't exactly work. Curse this "not having any time" thing. **

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 5: Astrid<span>

Astrid, almost like the last time she had spoken with Hiccup, did not immediately answer. What could she say? Would he even remember her from when they had talked almost a week ago? "You again? Are you the only 'angel' or what?" she began.

"Ah, I recognize that voice," Hiccup answered on the other end of the line, ignoring Astrid's sarcastic question. "Are you actually depressed again or did you just want to talk with me?" he asked and Astrid could hear him laugh.

_**Is he mocking me?**_ "Of course I'm depressed, stupid! Why else would I call this dumb number?" Astrid did not know why she became defensive and harsh when talking with Hiccup or why the depression that consumed her would disappear almost instantly upon hearing his voice.

"I'm hurt. I thought you called again because you love hearing my voice," Hiccup teased, but Astrid could hear that he wasn't actually upset.

There's was no way in hell that she could tell Hiccup that she actually did love hearing his voice and talking with him. "Don't flatter yourself. I didn't even plan on talking with you again," Astrid admitted before she could even think about what she was saying. "Besides, aren't you supposed to be helping me feel better? Isn't that your job, 'Angel'?"

"That it is," Hiccup answered. Astrid wondered how he always seemed to instantly know what to say in reply. Did that come from years of practice or was he just that good? "However," he continued, "for me to do that, you have to tell me what's wrong. I'm many things but a mind reader is not one of them."

At Hiccup's words, Astrid remembered that she had, in fact, not given the "angel" an overview of the events that led her to call the hotline again. Sighing, Astrid figured that she might as well just get it over with; maybe Hiccup would know how to make her feel better. "Midterms. I thought I was going to do so well and…then I got them back. I even failed one." Astrid hated sharing these secrets. It made her feel like she was whining. Hiccup had asked to know, though, so it was his own fault that he had to sit and listen to her complain.

"Is that all? That's really nothing to get so depressed about. They're just stupid tests. You'll do much better on the finals, though, because you'll know the types of tests that your professors give…"

"No, no!" Astrid interrupted Hiccup's kind advice. "It's not so much the test that depresses me. It's my parents. They know I took midterms recently, so they're going to be asking me about the results. They're…perfectionists and they hold high expectations. If I don't meet those expectations, well…" she shuddered at the thoughts.

"Don't worry so much," Hiccup advised. "Calmly tell them that you studied thoroughly but the tests were still harder than you expected. Finish by saying that you will do better on the finals."

As Hiccup gave his advice and suggestions, Astrid listened to his voice. It was so calm despite the roughness it held. She really wanted to take his advice and suggestions, but she knew it would not help. "You…you don't understand. That won't help. It just won't." Even to her own ears, her voice sounded broken and weak; Astrid hated it—she hated the ease with which she let down her walls when talking with Hiccup.

"Just give it a try. It doesn't hurt to try."

"Fine," Astrid obliged. Only because she could hear his insistence; seemed he could be quite stubborn. "I will try it, but I already know it's not going to work."

"But at least you will have tried," reasoned Hiccup. "Sometimes that's all you can do in such situations, Milady."

Astrid's grimaced internally at the title Hiccup had just used. _**Milady? Does he live in the Victorian age or something? Who freaking says stuff like that nowadays? Evidently, Hiccup does, but…still…**_ "Astrid," she spoke her name, not giving herself time to think before saying it.

"Uh..what?"

Astrid could've cheered internally. Finally, she had figured out something to say that would throw off Hiccup. Not that she had been trying to do that, but it did feel satisfying to hear Hiccup stutter over his words. "Astrid. That's my name. It's better than saying "Milady". Who even says that anyway? Besides, I already knew your name…well…sort of…but you didn't know mine. That's why I decided to remedy that issue."

"Um…okay then."

Smirking, Astrid could picture this once-confident "angel" now sitting speechless, not knowing what to say in reply. Somehow, the roles had quickly reversed. No longer was she the one with the stuttering problem. "What happened to you? Where's the confident and persistent Hiccup that I was just talking with earlier?"

"Oh, he's still here. It's just…I did not expect you to say that to me. That's all."

"Well, I did. So get over it," Astrid replied, her voice stronger now. Talking with Hiccup really did help her depression. It almost felt weird to taunt Hiccup this way. She wasn't flirting with him—no, she most definitely was not!—but this was so unlike her. Why did Hiccup have this strange effect on her? Surely, it was him. She never talked like this with other people.

The other end remained silent save for some indistinct and muffled sounds. Astrid knew it was because Hiccup had no idea what to say to her anymore. Was it a mistake to tell him her name? Not that it mattered. She couldn't take back what had been said. "Let me guess. We should end this call now and move on with our lives?" Astrid did not really want to stop talking with Hiccup, but she didn't know what to say to him anymore now that his replies had become so…short.

"Yeah…I guess so. Well, I…I…I'm glad that I could help you tonight. Remember the hotline is always available when you need some Heavenly Hopes," Hiccup finished, rushing his words.

Astrid knew that Hiccup was ready to disconnect the call so she spoke up very urgently. "Oh, and Hiccup…?"

"Y-yes?" he asked hesitantly.

"Do you realize how lame that sounds? It's so…plain and rehearsed. Just saying." Having said what she wanted, Astrid disconnected the call before Hiccup could even process what she had just said to him. Astrid stared at her iPhone after she had disconnected the call. She watched as the phone app closed and her wallpaper screen, filled with applications, reappeared. Suddenly, without warning, she burst in the laughter as she remembered the discussion she'd just had with Hiccup. Setting her phone down, she began to get ready for bed. Somehow, she just could not stop the smile that had formed on her face at the thought of Hiccup.

* * *

><p><strong>And…again I forgot the ending I had planned out. Hope this one wasn't too…horrible, I guess. MERRY CHRISTMAS, READERS! Well, we have a little less than 9 hours until it is officially Christmas, here, but…I hope you all have a wonderful holiday.<strong>

**I do not know when I will be able to get back to this story. I will be leaving for Ireland on Sunday and I'll be there for a week with limited (or, most likely, no) internet. Then, my current job ends on January 12, but then I may/may not be starting another around January 15 (waiting for official notice on that) and that would be until March 31 or so. As always, I will write when I get time.**

**Thank you all for reading and supporting Your Own Personal Savior!**

**Posted: December 24, 2014**

**Merry Christmas!**


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